Written this long long back on IF as well...
Thought of posting here...
Specially for vaibhavip18_ 😂😂😂
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Riha kept staring at the diamond that adorned her left ring finger. She couldn't really judge the thing that was going on in her body right now. A ripple maybe. Or a storm. She didn't know.
She slowly sat down on the bed...very slowly.
Everything around her seemed to lack pace today, everything seemed to be heading to or reviving from a standstill.
Yes. A standstill. Because her world had stopped for a long moment when he slowly took her ring finger on his palm... and slower, pushed the ring in. And then smiled once and for all.
Such a long moment, a moment Riha didn't want to get over, ever in her life.
Engagement. The first step towards being only Riha from Riha Menon. Because, Vivaan didn't carry a surname. A burden released.
Riha must have been the only woman on earth who had her eyes welled up when he smiled, claiming his first right on her. The ring.
His from today.
Vivaan.
Riha knew, Vivaan would eventually release every burden off her shoulders. And she? She just had to keep making sure, Vivaan's past didn't haunt him ever again, thus shedding him off the unnecessary burden of guilt too. Vice versa.
She knew she had to stay well. She had to keep well.
Because a mild fever of Riha too could drown Vivaan into an ocean of uncertainty and guilt. It was not easy. But when had Riha ever done anything easy? When even?
Weren't a million easy options already existing when she reached for the man in a shell? Was that easy?
Was this engagement itself an easy deal?
Yesterday Riha couldn't manage a day off... though she extremely wanted to. And the worst thing was that, her phone went quite dead inside the wards. Just before getting in... she had called Vivaan, and he didn't pick up around eight in the morning. Understandable.
Riha knew he had been under increasing stress with the impending engagement, quite usual of him. Everything couldn't just change drastically. Every affair needed time, and Riha was ready to spend that.
Riha left a message, " Will be out by 3. Meet you then. Message me the place. "
When she stepped out at around 3:15, she was a hell lot disappointed to find out no notification from Vivaan. Rather six messages popped up. Raajiv.
" Where's Vivaan?
I thought you had a duty in the morning, so called him.
He didn't reply.
So dropped in at his place.
Locked.
Is he with you? "
Jaws dropped, Riha was about to type back when mom called in.
" Riha...shall I take pink flats for you? "
" Pink? Eww. Too gaudy. The lehenga has a tinge of black right? Black would do. "
" Fine. "
" Mom... did... Vivaan call? "
" Vivaan! Not actually! Me and dad are out since morning...and Ruku's at college, so... "
" okay..."
" is everything alright? " , she sounded concerned.
" not actually. You know Vivaan don't you? " , Riha dropped the call.
Everyone knew Vivaan. And everyone knew, Riha knew Vivaan more than anyone.
Without answering back to Raajiv, she started calling Vivaan. In vain.
" Bhaiyaa, Surya Enclave. " , she asked her driver, who smiled.
Riha too smiled at that, within.
How could a single person's arrival in her life make everyone happy?
A big lock hung at 2D.
" Pick up the call, damn it!! "
Riha placed up and down the corridor.
" This is too much Vivaan! Tomorrow's our engagement! How can you test me this much? " , Riha blabbered.
And just then, the call went answered.
" Can you come to Lonavala? "
" Lonavala! Are you serious? It'll take two hours almost! It's 3:40 already! "
" Yeah...at most 6, then if we start at 7:30 ... we'll return by 9...given it's faster in nights. " , Vivaan spoke unstirred.
And Riha could never say a no to Vivaan.
As Riha's car entered Lonavala, she called him up again.
" Drive straight to St Christophers' Cathedral."
Riha could guess a bit. She left a text message to mom... " will be home with Vivaan by 10. Biriyani please? Order from Arsalan. "
Vivaan stood at the gate when Riha got down the car.
" What's this Vivaan? At least a message would do. Wouldn't it? "
Vivaan only smiled.
" Come. "
Vivaan grabbed her hand and pulled her almost to the immense prayer hall of the church. Riha glanced everywhere. The church was huge. A missionary actually. She could see hostel rooms in long rows.
As Vivaan walked straight up to the immense cross ... he didn't for once let go off Riha's hand. And she loved that.
" Jesus. My only savior in nights I felt the loneliest on earth, the only lap I fell asleep in. "
Riha astonishingly shifted her glance from Vivaan to Jesus. A strange calm adorned his face, even though brutally crucified. Riha knew immediately, how could Vivaan smile that way even after everything.
Vivaan and Riha sat at a tiny cliff at one end of the church.
" I lost so many of my loved ones in this missionary itself. And yet... it gave me everything. Most importantly, courage to distance from everyone, and make myself up. "
Riha slowly placed her hand on his and smiled reassuringly.
" Riha... are you sure of what is happening? Are you prepared to embrace me to the fullest? Aren't you afraid that I'm weird and most importantly cursed?
I know I have asked all these a million times now... and I know you are sure of everything.
Maybe, I myself am not...
Why am I doing this?
Why the hell am I myself involving you? You could have got someone a lot more... " , Vivaan had to stop, because Riha had placed her finger on his lips.
" Enough Vivaan. You are questioning my love. "
" I'm not Riha... Please don't misunderstand. " , Vivaan looked down.
" Then maybe you are questioning yours... "
Vivaan looked up...unsure.
" Tell me... how many from your life after the missionaries have got this opportunity to visit the place you grew up in? How many of them were lucky enough to be held hands by you and to be introduced to your Jesus? How many? "
Vivaan stared.
" No one. Except for Riha. And yet Mr Vivaan, you doubt your love? "
A smile slowly crossed his face.
" I don't know how you stepped into my life Riha. Otherwise I would have died at a corner someday and no one would even know what I felt."
" Vivaan! " , Riha knew her eyes were watering.
" What's the colour of your lehenga? Pink right? "
Riha couldn't believe this.
" What? " , an immense smile curbed on her lips.
" I ordered pink roses. I'll make a tiara for you tomorrow. "
Riha knew the tears had found their way.
Riha slowly caressed the tiara. She didn't want to open it. Never again.
Mr Vivaan. Thank you for the ring. Thank you for your finger. Thank you for you.
Thank you for your...love.
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There's a BONUS 2 at the end of this story. If you are confused that this is the current one, it's not so. 😊